Written questions by Buckley.

What steps his Department is taking to improve provision of mental health services to acute mental health patients leaving in-patient facilities.

The statutory guidance on discharge from mental health inpatient settings makes clear that National Health Service mental health trusts should have a clear plan in place for the ongoing care and support that a patient requires after discharge from a mental health inpatient setting. This should cover their pharmacological, physical health, psychological, social, cultural, education, housing and finances, and any other individual needs or wishes.Individual trusts providing mental health inpatient services are expected to closely monitor hospital discharge performance data to ensure discharge arrangements are operating effectively and safely across the system and are also subject to monitoring, inspection and regulation by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).In response to the CQC’s review of the care and treatment provided to Valdo Calocane and of services provided by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England asked every provider of mental health services to review the care received by people with serious mental illness who require intensive community treatment and follow-up but where engagement is a challenge.Alongside this, NHS England is also developing new core standards of care for community mental health services to support the continued improvement of care.As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and shift care from hospitals into the community by improving community and crisis services, NHS England is piloting new models of care in the community for those with the most serious mental illnesses. New mental health centres open in six neighbourhood areas from this spring and will provide people and their families with support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if they are in crisis without needing to book an appointment, as well as provide housing or employment advice to support them to stay well. A key feature of the model is continuity of care whereby the same team will support people with serious mental illnesses throughout all stages of their interaction with services, including transitions between hospital and the community.The Mental Health Bill, currently before Parliament, also aims to strengthen discharge arrangements for people detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act.

Whether his Department monitors the quality of support provided by NHS trusts to people with acute mental health conditions when they leave in-patient care.

The statutory guidance on discharge from mental health inpatient settings makes clear that National Health Service mental health trusts should have a clear plan in place for the ongoing care and support that a patient requires after discharge from a mental health inpatient setting. This should cover their pharmacological, physical health, psychological, social, cultural, education, housing and finances, and any other individual needs or wishes.Individual trusts providing mental health inpatient services are expected to closely monitor hospital discharge performance data to ensure discharge arrangements are operating effectively and safely across the system and are also subject to monitoring, inspection and regulation by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).In response to the CQC’s review of the care and treatment provided to Valdo Calocane and of services provided by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England asked every provider of mental health services to review the care received by people with serious mental illness who require intensive community treatment and follow-up but where engagement is a challenge.Alongside this, NHS England is also developing new core standards of care for community mental health services to support the continued improvement of care.As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and shift care from hospitals into the community by improving community and crisis services, NHS England is piloting new models of care in the community for those with the most serious mental illnesses. New mental health centres open in six neighbourhood areas from this spring and will provide people and their families with support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if they are in crisis without needing to book an appointment, as well as provide housing or employment advice to support them to stay well. A key feature of the model is continuity of care whereby the same team will support people with serious mental illnesses throughout all stages of their interaction with services, including transitions between hospital and the community.The Mental Health Bill, currently before Parliament, also aims to strengthen discharge arrangements for people detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a statutory private parking code of practice.

The government recognises the need for high standards in the private parking industry and is committed to delivering a Code of Practice, in accordance with The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.I am arranging to meet with industry representatives soon. My officials meet regularly with the two private parking trade associations and consumer groups.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in investigating complaints on solicitor conduct.

The legal profession in England and Wales operates independently of government. The responsibility for regulating the sector sits with the approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board (LSB). The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and law firms in England and Wales. More information regarding the conduct solicitors must adhere to can be found here: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/code-conduct-solicitors/.As part of its role, the SRA investigates consumers’ complaints when allegations of solicitor misconduct are made and has a number of disciplinary powers, including the power to issue fines and refer an individual to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, which can suspend or strike a solicitor off the roll.Given the sector’s independence, it would not be appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to interfere with decisions made by the SRA during these investigations, or its processes.If individuals remain unhappy with the decisions reached by the SRA, they can contact their complaints team at: complaintsteam@sra.org.uk or via https://www.sra.org.uk/home/contact-us/.Whilst the LSB oversees the regulators (such as the SRA and the BSB) and ensures they fulfil their statutory responsibilities, it does not have jurisdiction to review regulators’ decisions or process on individual cases.

What recent assessment she has made of effectiveness of the Legal Ombudsman in processing complaints in a timely manner.

The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) plays an important role in ensuring consumers of legal services have access to an independent and effective complaints resolution process. It has been on a challenging journey to improve performance over recent years, having reduced the number of cases awaiting assessment by 42% between 2022-2024. Performance over the same period has also improved with the percentage of complaints resolved within 90 days increasing from 11% to 46%.LeO acknowledges there is further to go to reach an acceptable position in terms of its queue and wait times. In response to these challenges, the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC), which oversees LeO, has implemented a modernisation plan. This includes increasing frontline staff capacity, enhancing case management systems, and streamlining complaint-handling processes.

What requirement her Department has placed on academy trusts to monitor school buildings where asbestos is present.

The department takes the safety of children and those who work with them incredibly seriously, which is why we expect all academy trusts, local authorities and governing bodies as responsible bodies to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively, in line with their statutory duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the regulator, sets the legal requirements and standards to manage asbestos and produces guidance for trusts and other responsible bodies to follow, as duty holders. The department provides guidance, tools and support to help all schools and responsible bodies effectively manage their school buildings, including guidance on the day-to-day monitoring and management of asbestos in schools and colleges, which was updated in October 2024. The Academy Trust Handbook 2024 is clear in its health and safety guidelines that “academy trusts have a duty to manage asbestos in their schools effectively, compliant with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012” (clause 1.19).The department follows the advice of the HSE as the regulator that, so long as asbestos-containing materials are undamaged and not in locations where they are vulnerable to damage, they should be left undisturbed and their condition monitored. However, the department has been clear that when asbestos does pose a risk to safety and cannot be effectively managed in place, it should be removed. The decision to remove asbestos should be considered on a case-by-case basis and annual condition funding provided by the department can be used for this purpose. In many cases, asbestos will be removed as part of wider rebuilding or refurbishment work.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had recent discussions with private parking firms on issuing penalty charge notices where a person has paid for parking but has made a mistake in keying in the car registration number.

The government recognises the need for high standards in the private parking industry and is committed to delivering a Code of Practice, in accordance with The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.I am arranging to meet with industry representatives soon. My officials meet regularly with the two private parking trade associations and consumer groups.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to renew the Farm Facilitation Fund beyond March 2025.

We recognise the importance of farmer and land manager collaboration. In future years we want to make it easier for farmers to build partnerships and secure the advice and support they need to deliver on a range of priorities in their local area. That’s why the Agricultural Transition Plan Update, published in January 2024, committed to the development of an expanded and improved facilitation fund. To support this change, we are not opening further rounds of the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund. We are still funding existing agreements. Ahead of the Spending Review, we are testing how we develop a more flexible approach to supporting farmer networks and partnerships. We will learn from the evaluation of the Facilitation Fund, which proves the benefits of collaboration but also shows that we need to improve the design, so it is less burdensome for participants, and we can increase uptake.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of continuing the bus fare cap.

Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services is one of the government’s top priorities and we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth. The government is investing over £150 million to deliver a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025 to help millions access better opportunities and promote greater bus use by passengers. If we had not taken action in the Budget, the bus fare cap would have ended and fares would have jumped back up to their previous levels on 31 December 2024. This would have meant some fares soared above £10 on the most expensive routes, as the last government had not funded the fare cap beyond the end of the year. Instead, we chose to fund an additional year of the fare cap but with the maximum price now set at £3. This does not mean, however, that all fares will rise to £3 as we will require operators to demonstrate that they have not raised fares any higher than inflation. This government is committed to improving bus services across the country, which is why the Budget allocated more than £1 billion to local bus services. This will be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Moving forward, the government is exploring more targeted options that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is always available for the groups who need it the most – such as young people.

What steps he is taking to ensure local authorities complete timely financial audits of social care providers.

Adult social care services are provided through a largely outsourced market of commercial organisations and charities. Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their populations, and to develop and build local market capacity.That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to shape their local markets, and ensure that people have a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support options available to them, and that they can access the services that best meet their needs.Local authorities also have a duty under the Care Act 2014 to ensure continuity of care in the event of business failure. This means that people continue to receive the care and support they need if their adult social care provider is no longer able to carry on delivering services.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a legal definition of child-to-parent abuse.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and our mission is to halve VAWG within a decade. To achieve this ambitious aim, it is essential that we tackle domestic abuse and all forms of interpersonal abuse. The Home Office is working closely with other Government departments to develop plans to deliver on this ambition and deliver a transformative change to society, and will publish a cross-government VAWG Strategy later this year.This Government will only succeed if we continue to ensure children and young people are also at the heart of prevention and intervention programmes and policies. Progressing work around child-to-parent abuse is an important part of this. A consultation into the definition of child-to-parent abuse closed in February 2024. The responses are currently being considered and will inform the detail of future work, but child-to-parent abuse does fall under the domestic abuse definition.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve cross-border cooperation on farming pollution regulations between England and Wales.

This Government is committed to building stronger ties and working collaboratively with the Welsh Gov-ernment on shared priorities that deliver for all our citizens including tackling pollution, restoring nature and supporting our farmers. Effective regulations play an important part of in reducing diffuse agricultural pollution and cleaning up our waters, as well as supporting improvements to farm businesses. Both Governments are working closely with regulators, local farmers and other key partners in England and Wales on these issues, for example by working with local farmers and environmental NGOs, alongside the Wye Nutrient Management Board and the Wye Catchment Partnership who are leading efforts to tackle pollution in the Wye.Please also see the announcement below for more detail regarding what is being done to tackle pollution in the Wye: UK and Welsh Government unite in £1m fund to transform River Wye - GOV.UK.In a joint initiative worth up to £1 million, Defra and Welsh Government will fund comprehensive cross-border research on the River Wye, to understand pollution and other pressures (such as wildlife decline, flood risk, high and low flows), and develop plans to tackle these issues in the catchment.This funding, supported by UK and Welsh Governments, will ensure farmers, environmental campaigners, citizen scientists and other local experts, can help us gather essential evidence about what is causing this iconic river to be so polluted, and chart a course towards improving water quality and restoring nature.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 1 November 2024 to Question 11001 on Animal Experiments: Public Consultation, whether his Department plans to publish the names of the organisations it consults with.

As part of the Labour Manifesto’s commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, the government has been consulting civil society as this process unfolds. This includes attending meetings with and considering documentation sent by animal protection organisations. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year which will consider these discussions. However, the strategy will not be publishing the specific names of the organisations it consults with.

What steps he is taking to help improve waiting times for children’s mental health services.

Too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are too long. As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England to cut waiting times and ensure that people can access treatment and support earlier. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England and introduce open access Young Futures hubs in every community.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to shared care arrangements for adults diagnosed with ADHD.

We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD including timely access to services and support.General practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors that provide services for the National Health Service. The General Medical Council has published guidance on “Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices content”. This includes guidance on shared care arrangements between a specialist service and the patient’s GP to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities for any condition. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices/shared-careNHS clinicians need to be content that any prescriptions, or referrals for treatment, are clinically appropriate. All shared care arrangements are voluntary, so even where agreements are in place, practices can decline shared care requests on clinical and capacity grounds.If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician; this applies to both NHS and private medical care.

If he will amend the key performance indicator for waiting times for children’s mental health services to include the length of time between referral and the start of treatment.

NHS England is working towards implementing the clinical review of standards and as a first step have started publishing data on waits from referral to start of treatment.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 1 November 2024 to Question 11001 on Animal Experiments: Public Consultation, what progress his Department has made on consulting with civil society and animal protection organisations.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The government has been consulting civil society as this process unfolds. This includes attending meetings with animal protection organisations and considering documentation sent by such organisations to the Government. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

What assessment he has made of waiting times for children’s mental health services, between the point of initial assessment and starting treatment.

No such assessment has been made, as the Mental Health Services Data Set does not collect data from ‘initial assessment to starting treatment’.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of HMRC online services for older people with limited forms of ID.

Users may gain access to HMRC online services by signing up for a Government Gateway account.A new Government Gateway account can be created with only an email address with no documentation required. The customer is provided with a unique username (Government Gateway ID) and is asked to create a password.This account will not have identity verification associated to it, so can only be used to access Government services which do not require identity proofing.Where a customer needs to access services requiring identity checking, additional Identity Verification steps are provided by Government Gateway, based on the identity information the customer has available to them.It is recognised that this can be difficult for some customers, particularly those with limited digital skills or limited documented identity sources.To prove their identity users will need their National Insurance number or postcode and can use any 2 of the following:• a valid UK passport• a UK photocard driving licence issued by the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland)• details from a Self Assessment tax return if one was made• information held on their credit record if they have one From Spring 2025 onwards, HMRC will begin to migrate new and existing Government Gateway customers to GOV.UK One Login. This is the Government’s new strategic authentication and identity checking system, operated by the Government Digital Service in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which is making it easier and faster for users to prove and reuse their identity to access the government services they need.Improving accessibility is at the heart of GOV.UK One Login; it offers multiple ways for people to prove who they are, including an in-person option, and a customer support centre to help users with lower digital skills.

How many sub-postmasters in the Group Litigation Order Compensation Scheme have (a) not received any compensation payments and (b) have received above the minimum payment of £75,000.

As of 31 January, the Department had received 408 completed claims from eligible GLO postmasters. 257 claimants have agreed full and final redress, of whom 153 accepted the £75,000 fixed offer. A further 229 individuals have received partial or interim redress payments, including people who have not yet submitted full claims.The government remains committed to issuing first offers in 90% of cases within 40 working days of receiving complete claims. The same target applies to offers which are challenged after 1 December 2024.